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Hi BryanHad a good long think about the whole saga of the single versus twingun turrets today and as usual the light bulb moment (aka penny drops) happened. I have a feeling that Mac's comments were more referring tothe fact that the Mk IIIa/Mk V (twin Brownings)were the standard models circa 1944, in the Upper Atlantic. The West African units were saddled with the Mk III with the singleVGO.303 MG obviously sans the midupper turret. The Luftwaffe were not a threatin West Africa, as perhaps the area nearer the UK/Bay of Biscay etc.This then fits in with your coments and photos of a single gun turret.

HI FOLKS - THE FWD. HYD. PWR. F.N. TURRET IS THE SAME ON MK III + V - TWIN .303 BROWNINGS -IT IS RETRACTABLE VIA A WINCH HANDLE ON RAILS - AND HAS JOINTED AL. HYD. PIPES , NOT HOSES - FEEDING THE HYD. MOTOR ON TOP . CAN'T RECALL THE PRESSURE - BUT WAS PROBABLY ARO. 2-3K. P.S.I. - SUPPLIED BY INNER ENG. DRIVEN HYD. PUMPS . SAME ON REAR F.N. TURRET - BUT IT HAD VERY LONG TRAYS OF AMMO ON REAR FUSELAGE SIDES AS IT WAS 4 X .303 . THE MID UPPER TURRET ON MK III WAS I THINK A B.P. ONE WITH 2 X .303 . MK III WAS SAME STD. R.A.F. TURRETS AS THE 3 X 4 - ENGINED BOMBERS - THE SINGLE .303 NOSE GUN TURRET WAS USELESS AGAINST FIGHTERS WITH CANNON - AND YOU CAN'T USE THE BOMB AIMERS POSN. EFFICIENTLY WHEN ATTACKING A U-BOAT AS THE NOSE TURRETS GUNNERS LEGS ARE IN THE WAY - SO THE ANSWER WAS THE MK V 4 X NOSE MOUNTED PILOT OPERATED FIXED .303 - BUT HOW THEY COULD HAVE USED 20 M.M. CANNON OR EVEN .50 BROWNING IN THAT NOSE TO STRAFE THE U-BOAT GUNNERS - AS HAD THE CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR / F.W. CONDOR - THANX J.C.

Recently visited the RAAF Association Museum at Bull Creek, Perth, Western Australia.They have a nice Catalina as well as hidden away in one corner a Sunderland nose turret. Bit of research she was removed when NZ 4108 became VH-BRF "Islander"with Ansett airlines, she flew to and from Lord Howe Island from 1963 to 1974.